With almost half of the human population being under 25 years of age, there is no doubt about the enormous stake that youngsters have in the present and future state of planet Earth.
Ambassador School Dubai is conscious about instilling environment awareness in its students, with Principal Sheela Menon explaining: “Whether it’s through the creation of paper bags by our students, which are later distributed to nearby grocery stores, or appointing ‘Energy Commandos’ in each class who prevent unnecessary consumption, we have been successful in nurturing the values of giving back to the Earth.”
“We grow a wide select of plants, too, using hydroponics, which is a technique for growing plants without soil, using only water, a nutrient solution, and a medium to hold the plants in place,” says Sheela. “And as a small step towards creating a ‘Plastic Free Dubai’, students as young as Grade 1 are encouraged to bring only metal bottles and lunchboxes into school.
“Though it’s impossible to completely reverse the effect of our actions, we can work towards restoring the damage done. And who better to spearhead this than the young people who will inherit the planet?”
Other schools are also doing their fair share to raise awareness about the state of our environment. Shining Star International School, Abu Dhabi, an Indian school following the CBSE curriculum, also believes in providing a holistic education that molds students into responsible citizens of society. Shining Star students collaborated with Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bangladesh Islamia School as part of the Sustainable Schools Initiative (SSI) to distribute jute and recycled cloth bags to visitors at the Khalidiya Mall. This helped create awareness among the general public of an alternative to plastic shopping bags.
Anita Singh, Vice Principal at Shining Star School, says: “How we live and what we do in our daily life is the real step forward in helping save Mother Earth. This initiative is one big step towards saying ‘NO’ to plastic. Sustainability is not about buying eco-products, it is a way of life.”
